November 7, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba’an 20, 1422

MOSCOW, Nov 6: Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Tuesday for India to be given a greater role in determining the nature of a post-Taliban regime in Afghanistan, signing a joint statement on terrorism with visiting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The two countries have “overwhelmingly identical” positions on international issues including the fight against terrorism, Putin said, hailing the “strategic partnership” between Moscow and New Delhi.

Vajpayee said Russia and India had “common geostrategic interests, both wanting to see a peaceful Asia free from terrorism and extremism”.

Putin and Vajpayee consolidated their identity of views in a joint statement, also co-signing a statement on strategic stability and attending the signing of economic bilateral agreements, notably a memorandum of understanding between the Russian and Indian atomic energy ministers.

Putin said the meeting proved that “the strategic partnership between Russia and India is real”, and insisted that “the Indian voice must be heard when solving the problem of Afghanistan”.—AFP